Little David Fincher’s in the making

By: Jade Kreft, Mike Raave, Robin Roestenburg, Annabel Rutten & Amber de Weert

Introduction
Felix De Laet has composed a song as Lost Frequencies together with Zonderling, which is
the feel-good song you have to listen to! The new song named ‘’Crazy’’, was brought out in
November last year. De Laet, born 30 November 1993, known by his stage name Lost
Frequencies is a Belgian DJ and record producer. He has produced a few famous singles
known widely in Europe. His single ‘’Are You with Me’’ even reached the top 10 in numerous
countries throughout the European Union, while ‘’Reality’’, produced in 2015, broadened
his fame. The song ‘’Crazy’’ follows these success-songs with desirable elements combined
into one new hit song. We will analyse this song and together in a group, we will turn this
song into a video clip. Nevertheless, De Laet successfully composed a new song, while he
used sound effects like an alarm to develop a new hit. Crazy, right?

First impression
When we first listened to this song, we noticed a couple of things. First of all, the music
starts with a low pitch. This, at first, made the song appear calm, which is also what we
expected it to be. The beat, however, is the exact opposite; the song has a fast beat and
rhythm. This made us tap along with the beat immediately. The rhythm appears happy and
relaxed at the same time. Several instruments play at a fast tempo. Therefore, we all found
it a very energetic, thrilling and happy song at first. There were so many things going on
throughout the whole song. Every time the points are reached where the Chorus is heard
the music becomes more and more energetic. We thought that the instruments were
cheerful and energetic and therefore it came across as a happy song. Some of us did not like
the song that much when we overheard it at first. It’s basic, standard and you hear a lot of
similar songs nowadays. The lead singer, in our opinion, does not have a unique voice.
Nevertheless, the song creates a vibe that makes you want to dance or tap along with the
beat.

Description
The song immediately starts with the first line accompanied by the first three sounds that
are used throughout the entire song. The line ‘’Oh lord’’ is immediately sung accompanied
by a few instruments. In the background you have a fast, pulse-like sound, like a deep and
low tapping on a massive solid object. The object is more like the sound of a person tapping
on a wall which generates a sound with a medium-to-low pitch. Following this pulse-like
sound, hear the guitar, louder than the previous sound. The guitar contains four main
chords which are being played after each other by the singer. The first chord has a medium-
to-high pitch, while the second cord that is being played is lower in pitch compared to the
chord before. The third chord is higher than the chord before but lower than the first chord,
therefore creating diversity. The last chord is higher than all of the chords played before.
This pattern of the four chords played after each other is repeated throughout a
considerable part of the song, only not heard when the Chorus is being sung. While the
pulse-like sound and the guitar play, you can hear a sound heard which sounds like an
alarm, but then muted. It is also more synthesized so that it is not a disturbing sound but
rather an effect which contributes to the melody in an appealing way.
The singer sings with a smooth, husky-like voice. Handclaps are added in the pre-Chorus,
which are heard once every time the pulse-like sound has been heard twice. Towards the
chorus there is a high, cheerful synthesizer rising in pitch, which ends in a smash by the
drummer on the cymbals, much like someone saying ‘’tsj’’. After that, there is a small after-
effect of the cymbals and we encounter a sound which is best described as a synthesizer
which obtained an effect from a string instrument. The effect sounds like a guitar being
mixed with a synthesizer, like a cocktail. This results in a sound which is more synthesizer
than any string instrument whatsoever. This sound is played in fast beats and in pairs of four
or five. This sound dictates the song and works up towards the lyrics ‘’So what if I am...
Crazy’’ together with another, almost soft synthesizer.
When the singer sings the word crazy, all the instruments change into the sounds which
were heard at the beginning of the song, the guitar, the pulse-like sound and the alarm.
However, the guitar is replaced by the string synthesizer which dominates ‘the stage’. The
word ‘crazy’ is repeated a few times while lowering in volume every time the word crazy is
being said. There are so many things going on with the instruments in this song while the
singer is still singing. Therefore, it is pleasurable to hear the sounds of the beginning of the
song returning to the Third Verse. After that has happened, everything repeats itself. During
the pre-Chorus, the handclaps are added again, and when the Chorus is repeated, the same
instruments are heard. Only the end of the song is different. After the chorus the song ends,
while the sounds fade away rather quickly and very abrupt.

Interpretation
This song is a happy song. It does not have to be. While a lot of people would agree on the
fact that this is a feel-good song, the lyrics could prove otherwise. While we agree that this
song is happy, there is a possibility that some of the lyrics are not happy at all. This is
principally the case if someone would overhear them solely, without hearing the
instruments. When we analysed the line ‘’For them to sing along to when I’m gone’’ in the
verse we immediately thought ‘Gone? As in dead or travelling?’ The next lines aren’t any
happier. Take a look at the pre-Chorus for example.
‘’Oh Lord
Let me be the one to set them free
I will give them every part of me
Put my heart where everyone can see’’
In our opinion, the line ‘’I will give them every part of me’’ could be interpreted in very
diverse ways. On one hand, the singer could mean that he wants to be part of ‘the group’
somehow, by not being his or herself. In our opinion, the singer means this line as if he will
show the world who he is, what he can accomplish and that he will not give up. We think
that this song is about being who you want to be and the fact that other people should not
judge too much since a person can’t simply change him or herself. Secondly, we think this is
also about a person who does not want to give up and with being him or herself, he or she
will reach his or her goal. This is clearly represented in the second part of the Chorus.
‘’You can call me whatever you want
But that won't change me
I just don't care what the world says
I'm gonna make it
They can call me whatever they want
So what if I am crazy’’
The lines ‘’I just don’t care what the world says, I’m gonna make it’’ are clearly about not
caring what everybody says but about believing in yourself and being yourself. Combined
with the instruments, this is undeniably a happy song and not a song with negative feelings
at all.

Analysis
This song has a lively beat and tempo. The song is organised in such a way that it’s very
energetic and the instruments, synthesizers and sounds build up towards the line of the
Chorus. The tempo, therefore, is fast and energetic, creating a happy feel-good feeling and
set a positive energy. The rhythm is very quick. Some notes last so quick that there are, at
some point, eight notes are set rapidly after each other so that the eight notes only take up
the space of one note. This is why the rhythm contributes to the energetic feeling you get
when you listen to this song.
The melody has a major scale, which means that the sounds are in low and high pitches.
There are a few chords, mainly played by the guitar, creating a harmony. It is very
interesting to study the harmony in this song since there are a lot of sounds going on.
Nevertheless, Lost Frequencies and Zonderling managed to compose these sounds together
to a piece that fits well together and create an atmosphere where you want to dance or tap
along to the beat. That is also why we think the video clip is an excellent representation of
the song; in the video, people are seen dancing with ages ranging from ten years old till fifty
years old. The timbre of this song is clearly present. During the pre-Chorus, the handclaps
are added but nothing majorly changes until the synthesizer enters which creates an
opening for the string synthesizer and stops the playing guitar. This is done several times
throughout the song. It is also what we call a key change; a change in the main harmony.
Instead of hearing the calm melody compared to the synthesizers, the song switches to
drums and electro sound effects. A few times during the song, the instruments used in the
Chorus change to the calmer start of the song. Throughout the rest of the song, there are
more timbres present. The change from synthesizer to actual guitar and from actual guitar
back to the synthesizer is a clear example of a timbre of this song. There is also a change in
volume after the singer sings the line ‘what if I’m...Crazy…’Here the singer repeats the word
crazy about five times, while the volume of the word crazy is lowered each time the word is
pronounced.
The song is constructed in such a way that there are two verses, both written differently.
The pre-Chorus and the Chorus are repeated once. This makes the layout of the song simple
as simple as the song can be. The unique instruments, songs, notes and chords establish a
complex structure but the repetition of the melody makes it somewhat oversee able since
the same melody is used during both the Verses and while the pre-Chorus and Chorus are
being repeated. This is why the dynamics are amazing in a way that the story-arc rises at the
Chorus, however, is at its peak around the second pre-Chorus and the beginning of the
repeated Chorus. This is because there is a so-called ‘drop’ in melodies and a timbre since
there is a change in rhythm from very energetic to ‘calm.’
The contrast between the energetic and in comparison, ‘calm’ melody generate an
interesting effect. Lost Frequencies & Zonderling have constructed this song in such a way
that it builds up a lot of energy and thus keeps the listener hooked to the song and creates a
vibe where everyone wants to dance.
All of these elements are the basics of this song which is loved by so many people (18 million
views on YouTube, for example). After analysing this song, we have come to a conclusion
which contradicts our first impression. We never thought of this song as ‘special’ or ‘unique’
but after carefully analysing it we do realise it is, in fact, a great song. Lost Frequencies
combined sound effects in such a way that it is a very enjoyable song which creates a vibe
where people want to dance or tap along immediately. He even managed to throw in the
sound effect of an alarm and have that specific sound shape the song more interesting and
unique. The song works towards the rising action of the song perfectly by using the
elements of music. It is such a complex yet simple song at the same time which makes it
worth a hit.

Felix De Laet composed this song from nothing, and we think it is a very admirable skill De
Laet has. He mixes sounds and arranges them in order in such a way that people want to
dance immediately when they hear this song. He communicates a strong and positive
message by only using sounds and words, and we think it is very admirable that Lost
Frequencies and Zonderling managed to do it so well, which is why we are glad we chose
this song to be the song for our Video Clip.

The Video Clip

We want to create a story whereby the main character of the story, the protagonist,
changes from following and copying the group to being unique and being his or herself.
Therefore, we are going to re-enact the lyrics and interpret them in multiple ways, which
follows Freytag’s pyramid clearly. The first pre-Chorus, for example, is going to have a
different meaning the first time it is heard in our video clip. The first time the pre-Chorus is
heard the line ‘I will give them every part of me’ will be about someone who is giving up his
own personality to be part of the group. The second time the pre-Chorus is heard the line
will all about expressing his or herself and showing the world what he or she is capable of.
We will alter the way the viewer of the clip interprets the lyrics since the first half we will
make the clip all about someone who follows the group and is not expressing his or herself.
We haven’t decided on all the metaphors we will be using. One of the metaphors we will be
using, however, is the uniformity of clothes. The ‘group’ is represented by people in dark
clothes and we will have the protagonist in white or colourful clothes at the beginning and
at the end, as a metaphor for standing out. There will be a few shots where the lead
character is pressured into drinking and smoking as an example of peer pressure. We’ll show
this from the perspective of the main character, and the camera will accompany him
throughout the song. The video clip is going to be quite straight-forward but will incorporate
moments where what is being shown might seem completely different from what was
originally meant by the singer. The lyrics in our video is meant differently than the lead
singer a lot of the time, since we will be focussing on peer pressure.

Freytag’s pyramid:
The tension increases and decreases twice in the song, we want to use that as well for the
video clip as you can see in the graph below.

What do we show and from whose perspective?

Our videoclip is about a girl. The girl is influenced by others, therefore she is going to adapt
to the group and she is no longer herself. She changes her style and starts to drink alcohol.
The people who are themselves think this is strange and tell her she has to be herself. The
girl is not happy with her new personality and she decides to be herself again. She does not
care any longer what people think about her, because she is herself and she gets real friends
who support her. The clip represents her thoughts about all of this. It can also be a random
person who passes by.

What are we going to leave to the interpretation of the viewer?

We want the reader to interpret a lot themselves, because everyone has his own
interpretation on the text. When we started with this assignment we had some difficulties
to decide what this song is all about. Some of us thought is was a love story about being
crazy in love and the others thought it was about changing your identity to belong to the
group. At certain moments we have displayed the text literally, it is up to the viewer to
interpret this more figuratively. We also want to allow the viewer to think what he or she
would do in this situation and if the person saw this happen to another person would he say
something about it.
How abstract or philosophical is the clip going to be?
The clip is really philosophical. We tried to show different kind of groups by giving the
clothes different colours. We tried to make a realistic story in which people could recognize
themselves. The song itself is also really philosophical ‘Hear me turn these words into a
song’ ‘I will give them every part of me’ ‘Put my heart where everyone can see’ there are a
lot of philosophical metaphors.

Film style:
The film-style we have decided to use is the musical film-style. This film style is a genre in
which songs are interwoven into the narrative. The development of the song generally also
develops the characters and plot.

Meetings:
Friday 26 January 40 minutes
Monday 5 February 120 minutes
Tuesday 6 February 100 minutes
Wednesday 7 February 120 minutes
Friday 9 February 30 minutes

We have filmed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Locations:
Great hall x2
School corridors x3
Outside field
Outside setting for drinking scenes
Abandoned setting x3

Attributes:
Camera
Tripod
Notepad
Pen
Guitar
Black clothes
White clothes
White accessories
Alcohol bottle filled with water
Colourful clothes
Shirt with text: “I don’t give a sh*t”
Characters:
Camera lady
Editor
Main character/Protagonist
Figurants
1 white character

Script:
Oh Lord (Protagonist plays a guitar)
Hear me turn these words into a song (Protagonist writes words from others at the notes as
a song at an abandoned setting)
For them to sing along to when I'm gone
For them to sing along to when I'm gone

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh Lord (Protagonist walks alone in white clothes behind a group with black
clothes/switching between showing the white and black dressed actors)
Let me be the one to set them free
I will give them every part of me (Protagonist is dressed in black and the group wears white
clothes)
Put my heart where everyone can see

[Chorus]
They can call me whatever they want (Protagonist looks up while lying on grass/camera
looks around)
Call me crazy
You can call me whatever you want (Camera turns to the blurred sky)
But that won't change me (Protagonist walks along with the black-dressed group)
I just don't care what the world says (Group meets one person from the opposite direction)
I'm gonna make it (Protagonist doesn’t care about the person with white clothes and keeps
walking with the group)
They can call me whatever they want (Protagonist is running)
So, what if I am crazy

Instrumental
(Protagonist is running)
(The group is going to chill somewhere)
(The group is chilling with a alcohol bottle which is given around)

[Verse 2]
Oh Lord (Alcohol is offered to the protagonist)
This is so much harder than I thought (Protagonist doubts about taking the alcohol)
But I will give them everything I've got (Protagonist drinks the alcohol)
One day I am gonna prove them wrong (Protagonist is thinking about if she did the right
thing)
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh Lord (Protagonist is standing outside with the group, the group offers alcohol)
Let me be the one to set them free (Protagonist throws the bottle on the ground)
I will give them every part of me (Protagonist is colourful and walks through the hallway,
through the group)
Put my heart where everyone can see (Group looks at the protagonist who doesn’t care)

[Chorus]
They can call me whatever they want (Protagonist walks through the hallway with a T-shirt)
Call me crazy (Camera sees the T-shirt of the protagonist, it says on the sweater: I don’t give
a sh*t)
You can call me whatever you want (People give black clothes to the protagonist)
But that won't change me (Protagonist throws black clothes away)
I just don't care what the world says (Protagonist is standing outside at an abandoned
setting)
I'm gonna make it
They can call me whatever they want (Friend walks to protagonist with guitar)
So, what if I am crazy (Friend gives guitar to the protagonist, they play together)

Instrumental
(Protagonist is playing the guitar with her friend)
(Protagonist is playing the guitar at the setting where the clip started)

Storyboard
Playing the guitar symbolises the main character
being herself. We start with this, because in the
begin she is still herself. She has no idea yet of
what is about to come and is just writing a song
like she normally does. However, in the song she
uses words the group uses.

She thinks the group is the best thing there is

and she even gives up her own identity, because
she wants to be a part of the group so badly.
Although this is not who she really is. The girl
really thinks the group is more important than
anything else and that is the reason why she
gives herself completely to the group.
 The main character does stuff she would not
normally do, but she wants to be a part of the
group and thinks that doing whatever the group
is doing, is the only way to belong to the group.
So, the main character does not really want to
drink the alcohol. However, she drinks the
alcohol that is offered to her, because she
thinks it is the only way to be a true member of
the group.

This is the point where the girl realises, that the

things she is doing are wrong and that being a
part of the group only makes her unhappy, so
she is arguing whether to be herself or not. The
first hint that she is going to be herself again is
breaking the bottle, because she realised that
the alcohol is not making her feel better.

This is the point where the main character

decides to be herself and does not care
anymore about the things the group says. When
she walks by them and they tell her to wear
black clothes again she just throws the clothes
away. She does this, because she really does
not want to be a part of the group anymore and
she realises that they made her do bad things
she did not want to do.

Playing the guitar links back to the beginning

again, where she was herself, which she now is
again. She knows that it is better to be yourself
and have true friends, than being someone else
to be a part of the group, because in the
beginning that seems nice, but after some time
you start to feel unhappy and especially when
the group tells you to do thing you do not want
to do.
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVEwL-sZzmM - Crazy-Lost Frequencies & Zonderling
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Frequencies
https://genius.com/Lost-frequencies-and-zonderling-crazy-lyrics
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/lost_frequencies/crazy_chords_2242053
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVEwL-sZzmM -Official Music Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAaVxdUt1-A -Instrumental Version without lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkK8C_GyVUU -Live Version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZAgbVSgVv8 -Piano Version